Mentor and School Staff Perceptions of Sacramento East Bay Asian Youth Center's Program Practices for At-Risk Hmong Youths to Persist and Graduate Urban High School

The qualitative case study examines the experiences of both mentors and school staff in the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) located within the Sacramento region. Participants total nine mentors from EBAYC and three high school staff. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews to gather rich and robust experiences from EBAYC mentors and school staff and used EBAYC's documents to obtain qualitative field data for analysis. Results provide insights on how EBAYC's, a non-profit organization, program services influence at-risk Hmong youths in three urban high schools to persist and graduate. Data were transcribed and analyzed. An inductive approach was used to identify common phrases and ideas. The content analysis allowed for codes to be assigned and themed for analysis. Results from the study indicate EBAYC services influence at-risk Hmong youths in high instances to work harder in school and reconsider the trajectory of education pathways. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]